SENIORS WEIGH IN AS DISCUSSIONS FOR 90-DAY CAMPAIGN AGAINST VIOLENCE AND CRIME CONTINUE

Basseterre, St. Kitts, October 08, 2024 (SKNIS): Members of the St. Peter’s Senior Day Programme weighed in on ways to help increase positive engagements within society and to reduce antisocial activities during their weekly session held on October 08, 2024, at the St. Peter’s Community Centre.

The discussion was part of the 90-Day Campaign Against Violence and Crime launched just over a month ago by the Citizen Security Task Force within the Prime Minister’s Office. The campaign undertakes a series of activities to understand the causes, consequences and solutions to violence and crime.

Alicia Collins led this morning’s session with the seniors, highlighting the importance of having these discussions.

“Oftentimes, this is a vulnerable population that is overlooked in terms of the way forward and the strategies and planning for our government and our people on a whole,” she stated. “We just think sometimes, oh, they are seniors, they have already lived, they don’t really have a meaningful [contribution] to the overall development, but in engaging them we recognise they have this wealth of knowledge and wisdom … and they are seeing what is happening now and they are able to reflect on what [they] did back then [and] if it is implemented now, what difference can it make?”

Ms. Collins said that the job of the facilitators is to encourage creative thinking taking into account today’s realities such as the role of technology. The data collected will be used to inform the overall document that will be produced.

Sixty-four-year-old Anthony Rawlins said that he was grateful that the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Ageing and Disabilities continues to create opportunities for older persons to be positively engaged and contribute to current affairs. On the matter of violence and crime, he noted that young people have “lost their way.”

Photo: Anthony Rawlins encouraged more community fellowship

“We need to get back to community development in the sense that once ago we used to say that it takes a village to raise a child. Nowadays, when you talk to somebody’s child, they say ‘No talk to me child’ or if you try to correct a child they say ‘Don’t hit me child.’ That is foolishness and we need to get back together as a community,” stated Mr. Rawlins.

Ms. Collins noted that, along with sharing their suggestions, some seniors are reflecting on how they can help bridge the gap between their age group and younger people. One senior proposed that older individuals could greet young people as they pass by on their way to school, the playground, or other places.

The reasoning is that by simply saying good morning, seniors can create a connection and establish a foundation for more meaningful interactions down the line.

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